Please check out Stanford STAND’s official position on Paul Kagame’s speaker event at the Graduate School of Business tomorrow, 4/25. We urge that the organizers of the event should present more than a one-dimensional side of Kagame’s Rwanda and should also address his role in the violence and political instability engulfing eastern Congo.Read the article here.

Stanford STAND has also been featured in KPFA Berkeley radio, 94.1 FM. KPFA interviewed co-president Jared Naimark earlier today on STAND’s protest against Kagame and why we should be concerned about Kagame’s invitation to speak at the university. You can listen to the segment here at around 51:00.

Again, please view the post below for ways you can reach out to the university and raise awareness on campus.

This Friday April 25th, Rwandan President Paul Kagame will speak at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, from 12-1pm in CEMEX Auditorium.Event Details

Stanford STAND recognizes the importance of marking the 20th anniversary of the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda, and acknowledges the efforts Kagame’s administration has made to promote public health, economic growth, and stability in the aftermath of such a crisis.

However, the Stanford community should not be uncritical of Kagame’s record of grave human rights violations, both in Eastern Congo and in Rwanda. Please join STAND as we work to raise awareness about this oft-overlooked dimension of Kagame and the Rwandan Government, and take action in solidarity with the people of Eastern Congo.

Here’s how you can take action…

Raising Awareness at the Event
Meet at CEMEX Auditorium at 11am this Friday 4/25, to join STAND members as we distribute informational flyers detailing Kagame’s war crimes and human rights violations. This will be a peaceful and respectful demonstration of solidarity and awareness raising. Please wear business casual.Link here

Tweet Your Concerns
Please tweet the following messages to help spread the word about why you are dismayed by Kagame’s visit. Make sure to follow @standstanford

I’m sending this email to express my disappointment, dismay, and outrage at Stanford University, the Graduate School of Business, and the Center for Global Business and the Economy for hosting and collaborating with President Paul Kagame of Rwanda. President Kagame stands accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide crimes in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. Please rescind his invitation as soon as possible, and support democracy and human rights in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Call the Organizers
Please call the organizers of the event to express your concerns. Feel free to use the script below, or write your own.

President Hennessy – (650) 723-2481
Garth Saloner (Dean of the GSB) – (650) 723-1940
The Center for Global Business and the Economy – (650) 723-4201

Hi [person picking up phone by name if applicable], my name is ____________ and I’m a Stanford [student, professor, alumni, donor, community member, etc.]

I’m calling to express my disappointment, dismay, and outrage at the University for hosting and collaborating with President Paul Kagame of Rwanda. President Kagame stands accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and possible genocide in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. Please rescind his invitation as soon as possible, and support democracy and human rights in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Please join us tonight for our Human Rights in Burma event with Burmese/Rohingya activists, from 5-7 pm in Kehillah Hall, 2nd floor of Koret Pavilion (near Hillel)! Dinner will be served!
We’re going to be joined by some pretty awesome panelists, so it’ll be worth it to check it out. The details are here.

Although we didn’t have a meeting this week, Emily Witt was generous enough to give us a news update on Burma!

Since we had a lot on agenda last week, our news updates were very brief and cursory.

Syria update from Syria deeply.

Bomb killed 8 people.

Kerry came out against Russia support of Assad

Obama mulling his options because things getting more extreme.

Congo

President Kabila signed Amnesty bill for M23 soldiers

Apple announced conflict free.

Burma – land protesters arrested

Sudan – new fighting in Malakal.

Also, please join us tomorrow from 7 to 9:30 pm for a screening in Cubberley Auditorium of “The Act of Killing,” an award-winning documentary on genocide in Indonesia. After the screening, there will be a panel discussion with Norman Naimark, Erik Jensen, Don Emmerson, and Diane Steinberg. Please find more information here at arts.stanford.edu!